Microsoft to cut TV jobs?

Perhaps not the year of the interactive television...? Hey, it's only the first quarter...

Banking on the device

By now, this report is a couple years old, but interesting nonetheless. It offers some insight regarding the use of emerging technologies in personal banking. The report provides overviews of mobile and interactive television technologies and their application to personal financial management. The focus is on Europe and primarily the UK.

Return of the Portal

Both McKinsey Quarterly and Yankee Group have their eyes set on portals. McKinsey says that broadband providers need to look to portals to ensure customer satisfaction. Yankee Group, meanwhile, says that the portal-via-television will be the consumer's first exposure to iTV.

Top 20 Technologies of 2002

Interactive television doesn't get the nod, but broadband enabler 802.11 gets a mention...

Younger Viewers More Likely to Tap into Pay-per-View Programming Options, says Yankee Group Survey

Younger people like cool technology, even if they can't afford it. The Yankee Group certainly has MY number...

"A whole generation of consumers is being conditioned to tap into media when they want it, where they want it," said Steve Vonder Haar, director of the Yankee Group's Media & Entertainment Strategies Planning Service.

allNetDevices: - SONICblue Suing TiVo for Patent Infringement

Ironically, if the legal debate extends past a couple of quarters, new products and initiatives produced by either company could be delayed leaving a bitter taste for interactive television in consumer's minds.

'Nuff said.

Microsoft interactive TV to track viewers

Microsoft hopes to make its technology more attractive to advertisers and consumers, who will be able to view advertising, content and programming tailored to a composite identity based on a history of viewing patterns

Personalized interactive TV could prove lucrative, however, if providers can successfully mind consumer concerns about privacy.